Cory Schneider deserved the goaltending nod in the Vancouver Canucks’ biggest game of the NHL season Wednesday because he’s been magnificent at managing his emerging game, especially on the road with calm and consistent efforts. Daniel Sedin managed to return to the lineup after missing a dozen games with a concussion and despite being tentative and rusty early, was a force to help the Canucks avoid a colossal collapse and be swept by the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference quarter-final series.

When their teammates finally showed up in the second period at the Staples Center, there were several encouraging signs of life in a 3-1 victory to send the series back to Rogers Arena for Game 5 on Sunday. But none more encouraging than Schneider. He stopped Dustin Brown on a third-period penalty shot by out-waiting the centre’s forehand move after he was hauled down by Kevin Bieksa on a short-handed breakaway. There was a 43-save effort and planting a seed of doubt in the Kings.

There was Ryan Kesler doing the spade work on the endboards to strip Willie Mitchell of the puck and then providing the screen for Alex Edler to wrist a power-play point shot past Jonathan quick to erase a 1-0 deficit in a dominant first period by the Kings. It was the first power-play goal in 15 opportunities and it featured pressure in the offensive zone rather than those drop passes in the neutral zone that have been so easily defended.

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There was Henrik Sedin reacting to stick work and jawing between Daniel Sedin and Brown by lowering a left forearm on the Kings captain and sending him to the bench with a bloody nose. There was a power-play goal by Henrik in the third period that provided a two-goal cushion and punching the club’s ticket to Game 5. There were three goals, the most by the Canucks in the series.

There was also David Booth going to the net and staying there in his first game on the top line and using his speed to accept some sweet feeds from the Canucks captain. There was even a bit of luck when Bieksa’s point shot deflected off the stick of Mike Richards and changed directions to provide a 2-1 lead after two periods, the first time the Canucks had led any period in the series.

So much for going quietly into the night. While the Canucks looked shell-shocked and scared to make a mistake in the opening period, they showed a pulse when it was needed most. They looked capable of becoming just the fourth team in NHL history to rally from a 3-0 series deficit. The Flyers did it in 2010, the Islanders in 1975 and the Maple Leafs in 1942.

Most importantly, the Canucks had the answer where it mattered most. Although Roberto Luongo wasn’t at fault in dropping the first two series games, the move to Schneider was calculated and everybody knows it will have far-reaching effects on how the crease conundrum will play out in the post-season. And because Schneider is wired to not allow distractions or debate to change his game and focus, he is staking his claim to the starter’s job and if he keeps this up to backstop a mammoth series comeback, they’ll erect a statue of him beside Terry Fox outside B.C. Place.

If not for Schneider, the Canucks could have booked vacations in the first intermission. He stopped a Mitchell one-timer snapper and got a pad on the Dwight King rebound. He got a right pad on a Trevor Lewis shot as the Kings held an early 7-3 shot advantage and 5-0 edge in scoring chances. The only goal he surrendered was when Mason Raymond did a flyby on a neutral-zone attempt to check Anze Kopitar and the centre snapped a wrist shot home on a breakaway to open scoring 13 minutes into the game. But Schneider stayed sharp and didn’t give up the crucial second goal. He stopped Jordan Nolan and got a pad on a Brad Richardson rebound and managed to get his body over a loose puck that was jammed across the line by Richardson after the whistle blew.

Yes, Schneider was even a little lucky when Justin Williams rang a shot off the post just after Henrik had provided the two-goal lead. And a third-period scrum had another puck strike the post. But he was also good. Very good.

It’s a lesson Carroll's mother taught him early in life: ‘When you go out the house, you gotta make sure you represent your family looking good'

No Canada: How we lost our game

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